Kathie Lee Gifford opened up about the “fury” she felt over her late husband Frank Gifford’s torrid affair and revealed why she ultimately decided to stay with him even though she was “never the same” after discovering he had been unfaithful. .
In 1997, news hit the web that former football player Frank had cheated on Kathie with a glamorous former flight attendant named Suzen Johnson.
Now, the 70-year-old television presenter has spoken out about how she found out about her husband’s shocking infidelity. through the media left her ‘pissed off’ during a talk with Fox News.
She also explained why she decided to “forgive him,” despite his betrayal, because she didn’t want to “break up her family.”
“First of all, I loved Frank,” she told the publication. Believe me, I was angry at him and furious that he would take something as valuable as our marriage into a hotel room with someone. It was very unlike him. And that’s why he put his entire family at risk.
Kathie Lee Gifford opened up about the “fury” she felt over her late husband Frank Gifford’s torrid affair and revealed why she decided to stay with him. They are seen in 2004.
In 1997, news hit the web that former football player Frank had cheated on Kathie with a glamorous former flight attendant named Suzen Johnson (seen)
Now, the television presenter (seen in April), 70, has spoken out about how finding out through the media about her husband’s shocking infidelity left her ‘pissed off’ during a chat with Fox News
News of Frank’s extramarital affair appeared in the newspapers in 1997, 11 years after they married.
‘But I also knew we had a family we loved. I did it because I loved Frank. I wasn’t going to break up our family.
Kathie and Frank, who was 23 years her senior, married in 1986 and had two children together, son Cody in 1990 and daughter Cassidy in 1993.
The couple’s children were only four and seven years old when news of Frank’s extramarital affair appeared in the newspapers.
The television personality explained to Fox that while she was “furious,” a friend suggested she “forgive” Frank for the sake of her children.
And although she was finally able to put it behind her, she confessed that she was “never the same” after the painful and public humiliation.
“A man once told me, ‘Kathie, if you can’t forgive your husband, forgive the father of your children,'” she recalled.
“I said, ‘Well, that guy is wonderful. That guy is a beautiful human being.’ He said, ‘Then forgive that guy.’ It worked.
“However, I was never the same. People take sex very naturally and that made me feel bad for a long time.
Kathie and Frank married in 1986 and welcomed two children together, son Cody in 1990 and daughter Cassidy in 1993. They are seen with their children in 2012.
The couple’s children (shown in 1990) were only four and seven years old when news of Frank’s extramarital affair appeared in the newspapers.
“But I just went back to work, thanked everyone for their prayers and tried to avoid the newspapers for a long, long time.
‘It’s like when you have a scar, maybe the wound is no longer there, but the memory is.
‘I believe marriage is a sacred, sacred relationship, and I was never the same. No, I never was.
Kathie previously detailed the issue in her new book I Want to Matter: Your Life is Too Short and Too Precious to Waste, which hit shelves last month.
In it, she explained that the discovery completely changed the way she looked at her husband, but that she was able to overcome his infidelity because she “knew his heart.”
“He was no longer my hero,” he wrote. ‘(But) all my faith is based on the foundation of forgiveness.
‘The father of my children was a wonderful man, loving, gentle, compassionate, generous and sweet. He was easy to forgive because he knew his heart.
The TV personality explained to Fox that while she was ‘furious,’ a friend suggested she ‘forgive’ Frank (seen with Kathie in 2010) for the sake of her children.
Frank, a former NFL player and sportscaster (seen with Kathie in 2004), died in 2015 of natural causes at age 84.
She also talked about it with Entertainment tonight after the release of the volume.
“I could have let the seed germinate, but I don’t want to be that person, that bitter, angry, unhappy, miserable human being,” he said.
‘Because you know what you end up doing? You end up making everyone around you feel just as miserable.
“I have always felt from my earliest youth that I had the choice every day of my life to be a blessing or a burden and I want to be a blessing.”
When asked if she thinks she was scrutinized because she “stayed” with the sports star, Kathie responded: “Oh, I’d be damned if I did and I’d be damned if I didn’t.”
‘If I stayed with him, I was just a stupid woman putting up with an unfaithful husband, if I left (people would have said), “Oh, you call yourself a Christian.”‘
Before marrying Frank, Kathie was married to Christian composer Paul Johnson from 1976 until their separation in 1982.
Frank, a former NFL player and sportscaster, died in 2015 of natural causes at age 84.
Two years after her death, the star admitted that she had gone on her first date “in 33 years” after her friend Hoda Kotb “set her up” with someone (the couple seen in 2012).
Two years after her death, the star admitted she had gone on her first date “in 33 years” after her friend Hoda Kotb “set her up” with someone.
“(He) was a good guy, but he didn’t share my faith,” she said later. ‘He wasn’t ready.
‘Frank had been gone for two years and we should never rush people with things like that, you know? And although he wasn’t mourning, he wasn’t looking.
Last month, she told ET that she plans to keep her love life out of the public eye.
“I’m not going to say a word,” he responded when asked if he was dating. ‘If the Lord brings another beautiful man into my life, I’m not going to talk about it.
“We’ll probably get married, privately, and tell the world a year later so no one’s opinion matters.”
